Netscape 8 - Browsers - CNET Archive

User Rating: 3/10

Privacy Invasion + Forced Software Installby RonnyBaby - November 25, 2008

Pros: I absolutely will *NOT* install ANY software that prys into my personal data!! Everyone... READ the user agreement and terms prior to installing. If you're like me and a number of others... You WON'T install Netscape!!

Cons: Why worry about spyware when your browser automatically spys on you and in order to install, you must agree to give up your rights to your OWN computer, basically!

FORCED software install. I do NOT use AIM to chat. I use Yahoo. .

Review: Netscape should be renamed to NetSpy! WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

User Rating: 10/10

Great! The best!by GK625 - April 13, 2007

Pros: Everything

Cons: Too much AOL

Review: Just the best!

User Rating: 2/10

Horrible Upgradeby T.Dub - March 8, 2007

Pros: Tabbed Browsing

Cons: Crashes Constantly

Review: What a terrible upgrade this was, crashes constantly and locks up all the time. Password manager is terrible and bookmark manager is slow to add or change bookmarks. I will go back to 7.2 or move on to Opera or Foxfire.

User Rating: 3/10

Bugs, Bugs and More Bugsby rllewis - February 23, 2007

Pros: It's not IE

Cons: Shuts down on its own

Review: There are certain times when the browser seems to randomly decide to close down instead of going to a newly entered website. This new web address can either be one that I have entered manually or following a link. And it is not shutting down at little strange or problem sites. The last two times it did it were trying to log on to Blogger and another time going to the HP website. I have tried it using both the Firefox engine and the IE engine and it does it no matter which is the preferred engine.

Updated
After reporting to you about the problems I am having I decided to leave feedback to Netscape about the problem. After filling out the feedback form and hitting the submit button I get a message telling me that there is a problem sending feedback - try again later.

User Rating: 9/10

I like it a lot - It's Firefox and IE in the same browser without a squabble.by meisinscotland - November 16, 2006

Pros: Firefox/IE engine can be switched between

Cons: A bit sluggish, slightly bloated, toolbars are awkward

Review: I like this browser. It still has the sort of "Bone Collector Netscape Browser 4" corporate-ness about it that was present in 1997, and yet it is intuitive and friendly, and emphasizes secure browsing.

If you didn't understand what I said above, you'll need to watch the movie "the Bone Collector" to understand what I meant!

Anyway, it has the Firefox 1.07 rendering engine if I'm not mistaken, and IE6's rendering engine too, for maximum compatibility with a mix of security.

Better than Opera and Firefox as well as IE, but a little too clunky. Netscape 7 was a better balance of compatibility, security and speed.

User Rating: 6/10

Very cumbersome to use on a laptopby balaji.ramanathan - January 7, 2006

Pros: Excellent Security

Cons: Unnecessary junk like AOL AIM packaged with it

Review: The think I noticed right away about netscape that has prevented me from making it my default browser so far is that it does not recognize the scrolling action of the touchpad of my laptop. So, I have to scroll only using the arrow keys, the pgup and pgdn keys or by using the window's scroll bar. I am so used to just moving fingers down the touchpad to scroll in every other application I use (including Firefox, mozilla and IE), so this is a major pain in the neck to get used to.
I like the security built into the browser with the use of white and black lists. I also like the level of information on the toolbars, but the downside to the thick toolbars is that it leaves less space for your actual browsing.
I have noticed that it renders a lot of pages in the IE mode even though they display the same way when I force it to render using Firefox, so there may be something wrong in the logic that dictates which rendering method netscape chooses by default for a given page. But as other reviewers have found, I am yet to hit a page for which I had to open a second browser to get proper rendering.
It occupies more space on my hard drive than it should because of the AOL junk it comes packaged with. Some people also have reason to worry about the EULA which stipulates that AOL can snoop on you through netscape whenever they choose. I doubt AOL is actually going to snoop on me personally, but it does give you pause. I would have preferred a clean browser like firefox with a less invasive EULA.

User Rating: 9/10

Very Good and Neatly Packagedby thatboyaintright - December 18, 2005

Pros: Look and Feel

Cons: Quirky and Big Program

Review: If you like Firefox, Netscape has a better mouse trap. I've used Netscape for years and thought 7.2 was the bomb, but 8.0X is much better. Skinnable. Built in Google search, weather and webmail button. Tabbed browsing and form fill are life savers. The RSS feed is a good feature but kinda hard to configure. The built-in popup blocker and anti-spyware are great. The problem is that there are some quirks that I had to overcome, namely the "dings" whenever a popup page is blocked. After a stop at the Netscape Msg Board for help, I took care of it. While I miss the email client and HTML editor, I can easily choose my own email client (Thunderbird). Overall, Netscape is far superior to IE. My personal preference is not that Netscape is the "best" but that it is my favorite. Whilst Firefox is good, Netscape still works better for me.

User Rating: 3/10

can't erase any search bar historyby pthang - September 22, 2005

Pros: look nicer

Cons: program bigger, search history can't be cleared

Review: I prefer version 7.2 better.

User Rating: 8/10

Secure and reliableby dragontek - September 19, 2005

Pros: Fast, stable and secure

Cons: too busy interface

Review: After becoming frustrated with MSFT IE- spyware in my opinion is totally out of control. I tired FF and think this is a wee better. IE is not safe and is dangerous

User Rating: 3/10

Once the best. Now the worst (almost)by nedhenry - September 10, 2005

Pros: Multi-tabbed browsing, dual engine rendering

Cons: doesn't render properly, forward/back buttons don't work right,

Review: Basically, the way to sum up Netscape 8 is to say that the intentions are good, but the implementation is bad. The ideas to have some of the best features of Firefox and allow use of both engines to render web pages is a great one. However, neither engine actually works like their respective originals. The firefox engine actually works better than the ie engine, but it crashes more than Firefox. The ie engine has difficulty with sending form information through and rendering sites as actually rendered by ie. These are not the same engines, or if they are, they have been tampered with.

Another major problem deals with the forward and back buttons. They are not reliable. Sometimes, clicking back will go back 2-4 pages. Likewise with the forward button. Also, occasionally, the history in the buttons will disappear. This is a terrible problem if a form doesn't submit correctly (very common) and you need to go back to re-submit.

You also get spontaneously signed out of sites in Netscape 8. I can't figure out why, but in multiple sessions on different sites including banking, fantasy football, gmail, and yahoo email you suddenly find yourself unable to move to the next page because the site requires you to sign in. However, you can't sign in for some reason. It almost seems like there is a problem with the site. However, the is no problem signing in with Firefox, Opera, or ie. Back to Netscape to try again, and you still can't sign in. The only way is to either delete all history and start over or shut down the machine.

Overall, Netscape 8 is very glitchy. The issues are consistently inconsistent! The UI is not customizable enough. You are forced to have some things showing while you can't use them the way you want. Site don't load or they crash. There are several other problems that I don't care to sit and type. Try it yourself. You won't like it. Stick with Firefox or Opera. Neither of them render properly either, but at least you know what you're getting, and the issues are consistent. Perhaps Netscape 8.1 or 8.2 will fix all these problems. I hope so because the concepts are great on paper; they just don't play out in "real life".

User Rating: 2/10

Good features, WHEN IT DOESNT CRASH!by raguptamd - September 2, 2005

Pros: nice use of custom buttons and toolbars. Tabbed browsing improved

Cons: Controlling pop-ups etc, site controls made unnecessarily hard. Crashes all the time

Review: I have been a netscape user ever since Netscape was first introduced. I have always been the first one to install the latest Netscape version in my acquantaince circle. Well, with Netscape 8, I did the same, but was forced to uninstall in about 20 days.

My Netscape 8 crashes once every 10 minutes of active browsing. This is simply not acceptable in a releases product browser. Not to me atleast. The other features do not matter.

I will give it a shot again in 6 months or so by when hopefully they would have fixed some of these bugs. But for now, I am getting my feet wet with Firefox and I must say I have been quite happy with it.

User Rating: 6/10

why do Netscape only offer 7.2 as download ?by Big A - August 31, 2005

Pros: like the interface

Cons: can't use it with my bank

Review: Found that my bank supports 7.2 but not 8 so I went onto Netscape site uk, and they don't offer 8 at all, only 7.2 how weird is that ? Now I don't know whether to reinnstall Netscape 7.2 and get rid of 8

User Rating: 8/10

A grown up Firefoxby corbypete - August 26, 2005

Pros: Fresh features, STABLE, looks complete, skinable, security features, IE site compatibility, works with Windows update, None of that signup rubbish from previous builds, no lame email client thrown in

Cons: A little slower than firefox to get going, but ok when launched. Takes 5 minutes to get used to, HATE the weather plugin, but uninstalls ok

Review: Well, this really is a refreshing browser update. You get all the regular features like tabs, anti-popup etc. but what I really like is the ability to change the pages format right before your eyes by adjusting whether it should read a page like firefox or read it like IE, meaning you can get windows update to work with it, aswell as other sites problematic for Firefox alone. I now can throw away all other browsers and use just one... great! AIM DOES NOT install by default, thats a LIE, its not on my system at all, and any features easily uninstall if required. Highly recommended, not recommended for slow PC's that struggle with normal XP tasks, as it could struggle. LOVE the form filling feature, it allows you to add passwords and submit the form with one click, no more typing of password boxes or using adware filled Gator. Give it a try, it deserves the respect

User Rating: 3/10

Not happy at allby lakelady777 - August 21, 2005

Pros: Beautiful Interface

Cons: No Ease With Email

Review: In 7.2, both email and browser opened at the same time and the two operated seamlessly. This version pretty well ingored the fact that folks use email entirely.

I find myself using the version 8 browser, then opening the version 7.2 email package for my mail. And if I receive mail with a web link, the version 7.2 browser opens too!.

Cumbersome, awkward, and soon to be deleted. Things should get better with age. Netscape 8.0 is a step backwards.

User Rating: 9/10

I hate to admit it, but better than Firefoxby FirefoxBrowser - August 14, 2005

Pros: RSS, the ability to display pages as Firefox or IE, Works with PDF, easy to access Yahoo! Mail and weather, no AIM (for me at least), like Firefox; FREE

Cons: Crashes at times

Review: It has every feature in a browser I would want! Although, it can crash from time to time, since Bill wants me to use IE, surprise, surprise.

User Rating: 8/10

Don't mess with Perfection...by NickMets7 - August 11, 2005

Pros: Intuitive controls, advanced security options, excellent compatibility, "My Sidebar"

Cons: Confusing for someone used to using IE, annoying "Search Toolbar", a tad slow to start up, tabs take up gobs of memory

Review: This browser is very good, and for a picky person like me it was difficult to find too many gripes.

First the GOOD:

I love the new fresh look (I use Windows 2000 Pro, so I'll take anything over the IE's gray colours). Next, most of the controls are ergonomic and simple to use. The sidebar is fully customizable and provides quick access to things like your local weather as well as an instant messanging program (just sign in with your AIM screen name). The browser is also much safer and stable than IE thanks to frequent updates of links that are known to be unsafe to open. The use of two rendering engines ensures full compatibility with every website, and if you're an "Tech Guru" you'll love the advanced option under the "Preferneces/Options" section.

Now, the BAD:

No doubt Netscape 8.0 is a better browser than IE, but all of the "Passcards" and "Data Cards" and "Master Password" are confusing. Furthermore, I still don't know how to delete my previous searches on "regular" (non-toolbar) searches (e.g. eBay, etc.). The search toolbar is, I'm pretty certain, unremovable and annoying (since I never use it). Also, I don't understand why Netscape makes you configure the amount of usable Cache in kilobytes. Why not just use simple megabytes? Lastly, the tabs, though useful at times, are slow to open back up after not using them for a prolonged period of time.

Once Netscape addresses these small issues, this browser will be almost nothing short of perfect.

Updated
I ran several spyware scans and stuff. Most of the stuff that came up came from surfing through Netscape. I use both IE and Netscape, but Netscape is just not really as good a browser as it once was

AOL is messed up for ruining one of the greatest things to ever happen, or create, the web.

User Rating: 4/10

Netscape is fineby Mistimoonie - August 2, 2005

Pros: user friendly

Cons: Doesn't have a Composer with it!

Review: I use composer alot and I would use Netscape8 more if it had the composer

User Rating: 8/10

Excellent and fastby Reo - August 1, 2005

Pros: It has new features better than FireFox

Cons: The best Web browser

Review: The thing about this browser is in the new email feature, you can login directly to more than 4 different emails. FireFox is good but netscape has the look and the new feature.

User Rating: 3/10

Browser not ready for prime timeby elger101 - July 28, 2005

Pros: Attractive screens and good integration

Cons: Too many flaws

Review: Netscape 8 (ver 8.03) is a very nice looking browser with some advantages: it is appealing to the eye and it natively runs all IE, Netscape and Firefox programs. However its pedigree is a hodge-podge and it can't decide what it wants to be. From Netscape 7.2 it has imported the tabbing, but whereas in 7.2 one has control over opening tabs, here they open automatically (yes one can override that, but why?) and once you have 10 or more screens tabbed, you're out of ram and the system crawls. Unlike 7.2 with its built-in mail,it has taken from Outlook and Firefox the external mail, which would have been fine, but here there is a compromise in the form of a quasi built in 'Webmail' window which doesn't work AT ALL except for subscribers to Netscape.Net (and how many of those are there?)..... needless to say there is no tech support and the 'Tour' that accompanies the new release shows mere screenshots and doesn't go into details on any feature and is totally useless. This browser holds some promise but unless Netscape comes up with major fixes, trying this release is a waste of time... stay with IE, NS 7.2 or Firefox.

User Rating: 5/10

If you love Firefox, there is NO reason to switch to Netscape.by billygtexas - July 19, 2005

Pros: Nice design, uses Firefox's engine but can use IE's engine to view pages (but that could be dangerous!)

Cons: Buggy, crashes often, sometimes takes a long time to close

Review: I had high hopes that Netscape would get its act together for their new browser because it's based on the Mozilla Firefox engine and can also use the Internet Explorer engine for viewing pages like Avant Browser. But like all the other Netscape browsers since 5 the new version seems rushed out again and buggy.

On its side the new version's default skin looks gorgeous compared to the bland Firefox, after you figure out what butten does what. One gripe is when you change pages, the old page is still on your browser behind a new tab. That can be convenient for some but I think its annoying. I havent figured out how to set it up so it opens another browser window instead. The scrolling is smoother with a mouse scrolling button than Firefox, and it seems to load most pages quicker. If you use Firefox you will feel right at home with the menus and bookmarks.

On the minus side Netscape 8 is still buggy. I have had pages that wouldnt load up or not correctly. When I tried loading a page using the Internet Explorer engine the browser would crash, or sometimes it just locked up completly, leading to a "3 Finger Salute" (ctrl-alt-delete). Some downloads wouldnt show up in the download window box. And sometimes it would take a long time to close.

I'm running Windows 2000 Pro and I think Netscape/AOL didnt optimize it for this OS. I bet it runs even worse on Windows 98-95.

If you love Firefox theres NO reason to switch back to Netscape, even out of curiosity. Stick with Firefox and don't waste your time with this. It's a shame that ever since Marc Andreessen left Netscape its become a shell of itself, destroyed by cutbacks and corporate compromises. This new browser reminds me of a retired Hall-Of-Fame ballplayer trying to make a comeback and getting his butt kicked by the younger kids. Netscape's time is done, and if AOL's smart they should just shut down the whole company and not waste our time with badly programmed browsers.

Updated
Ever gone back to a place you remember fondly in your past, only to find it in a horrible mess? You swore you'd never go back there, Right? Then a freind tells you its better now and deserves another look...thats what I did with Netscape. I hadn't used this browser since 2000 after AOL bought the company and then released buggy after still buggy product I was told to stay far away from.

After laying low for years and letting Microsoft and now Firefox dominate the browser world, I kinda had hopes that Netscape would finally get its act together for Version 8 because it's now based on the Firefox engine and can also use the Internet Explorer engine for viewing pages like Avant Browser does. It's two browers in one, and very handy for pages that demand Active-X (but be careful!). The browser has "Trust Settings" you can select for each website, allowing sites to use or block pop-up windows, cookies, ads, javascripts and Active-X. Thats something Firefox doesnt have unless you download several ad and cookie blocker extensions.

The new Netscape default "Fusion" skin looks attractive and ultra-slick compared to Firefox's basic skin, after you figure out what button does what! The personal toolbar has plenty of customizable buttons: national news, movies, yellow pages, maps, shopping, weather, stocks, e-mail, music headlines....all from Netscape's site though. As it is, its a big confusing mess until you spend some time and configure it.

Another gripe is when changing pages, the old page is still on the browser behind a new tab. That can be convenient for some but annoying for me. I never figured out how to set the browser so a new page opens in the same window. The scrolling feels smoother with a 3-button mouse than Firefox, and it seems to load most pages a little quicker than Firefox does, simular to the Mozilla browser. If you're used to Firefox you will feel right at home with the settings and bookmarks.

But like all the other Netscape browsers since Version 6, Version 8 feels rushed out, messy, and still bug-filled. I have had pages that wouldn't load or incorrectly load with broken graphics or incomplete javascript. When I tried switching from the Internet Explorer to the Firefox engine (or the other way around) the browser would crash, or sometimes it just locked up completly, leading to the good 'ol "3 Finger Salute" (ctrl-alt-delete). Some downloads wouldnt show up in the download window box. And sometimes the browser would take a long time to close. And theres no way to keep the Netscape 8 logo from showing when loading up.

Netscape 8 was a minor headache to use the first week, compared to the first time I used Firefox, which was a breeze to set up and had fewer annoying bugs. I'm running Windows 2000 Pro and I think Netscape/AOL didnt optimize it for this OS. I bet it runs even worse on Windows 95-98.

If you love Firefox theres really NO reason to switch to Netscape, even with these new features or just out of curiosity. Stick with Firefox or Mozilla and don't waste your time with this. It's a shame that ever since Marc Andreessen left Netscape its become a shell of itself, destroyed by AOL cutbacks and corporate compromise. Netscape 8 reminds me of a retired Hall-Of-Fame ballplayer trying to make a comeback and getting his butt kicked by the younger kids.

Netscape's time is finished, and if AOL's smart they should just shut down the company, continue to support Mozilla and not waste our time with badly programmed browsers.

Updated
Ever gone back to a place you remember fondly in your past, only to find it in a horrible mess? You swore you'd never go back there, Right? Then a freind tells you its better now and deserves another look...thats what I did with Netscape. I hadn't used this browser since 2000 after AOL bought the company and then released buggy after still buggy product I was told to stay far away from.

After laying low for years and letting Microsoft and now Firefox dominate the browser world, I kinda had hopes that Netscape would finally get its act together for Version 8 because it's now based on the Firefox engine and can also use the Internet Explorer engine for viewing pages like Avant Browser does. It's two browers in one, and very handy for pages that demand Active-X (but be careful!). The browser has "Trust Settings" you can select for each website, allowing sites to use or block pop-up windows, cookies, ads, javascripts and Active-X. Thats something Firefox doesnt have unless you download several ad and cookie blocker extensions.

The new Netscape default "Fusion" skin looks attractive and ultra-slick compared to Firefox's basic skin, after you figure out what button does what! The personal toolbar has plenty of customizable buttons: national news, movies, yellow pages, maps, shopping, weather, stocks, e-mail, music headlines....all from Netscape's site though. As it is, its a big confusing mess until you spend some time and configure it.

Another gripe is when changing pages, the old page is still on the browser behind a new tab. That can be convenient for some but annoying for me. I never figured out how to set the browser so a new page opens in the same window. The scrolling feels smoother with a 3-button mouse than Firefox, and it seems to load most pages a little quicker than Firefox does, simular to the Mozilla browser. If you're used to Firefox you will feel right at home with the settings and bookmarks.

But like all the other Netscape browsers since Version 6, Version 8 feels rushed out, messy, and still bug-filled. I have had pages that wouldn't load or incorrectly load with broken graphics or incomplete javascript. When I tried switching from the Internet Explorer to the Firefox engine (or the other way around) the browser would crash, or sometimes it just locked up completly, leading to the good 'ol "3 Finger Salute" (ctrl-alt-delete). Some downloads wouldnt show up in the download window box. And sometimes the browser would take a long time to close. And theres no way to keep the Netscape 8 logo from showing when loading up.

Netscape 8 was a minor headache to use the first week, compared to the first time I used Firefox, which was a breeze to set up and had fewer annoying bugs. I'm running Windows 2000 Pro and I think Netscape/AOL didnt optimize it for this OS. I bet it runs even worse on Windows 95-98.

If you love Firefox theres really NO reason to switch to Netscape, even with these new features or just out of curiosity. Stick with Firefox or Mozilla and don't waste your time with this. It's a shame that ever since Marc Andreessen left Netscape its become a shell of itself, destroyed by AOL cutbacks and corporate compromise. Netscape 8 reminds me of a retired Hall-Of-Fame ballplayer trying to make a comeback and getting his butt kicked by the younger kids.

Netscape's time is finished, and if AOL's smart they should just shut down the company, continue to support Mozilla and not waste everyone's time with badly programmed browsers.

Updated
Ever gone back to a place you remember fondly in your past, only to find it in a horrible mess? You swore you'd never go back there, Right? Then a freind tells you its better now and deserves another look...thats what I did with Netscape. I hadn't used this browser since 2000 after AOL bought the company and then released buggy after still buggy product I was told to stay far away from.

After laying low for years and letting Microsoft and now Firefox dominate the browser world, I kinda had hopes that Netscape would finally get its act together for Version 8 because it's now based on the Firefox engine and can also use the Internet Explorer engine for viewing pages like Avant Browser does. It's two browers in one, and very handy for pages that demand Active-X (but be careful!). The browser has "Trust Settings" you can select for each website, allowing sites to use or block pop-up windows, cookies, ads, javascripts and Active-X. Thats something Firefox doesnt have unless you download several ad and cookie blocker extensions.

The new Netscape default "Fusion" skin looks attractive and ultra-slick compared to Firefox's basic skin, after you figure out what button does what! The personal toolbar has plenty of customizable buttons: national news, movies, yellow pages, maps, shopping, weather, stocks, e-mail, music headlines....all from Netscape's site though. As it is, its a big confusing mess until you spend some time and configure it.

Another gripe is when changing pages, the old page is still on the browser behind a new tab. That can be convenient for some but annoying for me. I never figured out how to set the browser so a new page opens in the same window. The scrolling feels smoother with a 3-button mouse than Firefox, and it seems to load most pages a little quicker than Firefox does, simular to the Mozilla browser. If you're used to Firefox you will feel right at home with the settings and bookmarks.

But like all the other Netscape browsers since Version 6, Version 8 feels rushed out, messy, and still bug-filled. I have had pages that wouldn't load or incorrectly load with broken graphics or incomplete javascript. When I tried switching from the Internet Explorer to the Firefox engine (or the other way around) the browser would crash, or sometimes it just locked up completly, leading to the good 'ol "3 Finger Salute" (ctrl-alt-delete). Some downloads wouldnt show up in the download window box. And sometimes the browser would take a long time to close. And theres no way to keep the Netscape 8 logo from showing when loading up.

Netscape 8 was a minor headache to use the first week, compared to the first time I used Firefox, which was a breeze to set up and had fewer annoying bugs. I'm running Windows 2000 Pro and I think Netscape/AOL didnt optimize it for this OS. I bet it runs even worse on Windows 95-98.

If you love Firefox theres really NO reason to switch to Netscape, even with these new features or just out of curiosity. Stick with Firefox or Mozilla and don't waste your time with this. It's a shame that ever since Marc Andreessen left Netscape its become a shell of itself, destroyed by AOL cutbacks and corporate compromise. Netscape 8 reminds me of a retired Hall-Of-Fame ballplayer trying to make a comeback and getting his butt kicked by the younger kids.

Netscape's time is finished, and if AOL's smart they should just shut down the company, continue to support Mozilla and not waste our time with badly programmed browsers.

User Rating: 9/10

Firefox users: Try it !, U can keep both, Others: Makeway for N8by mmz - July 11, 2005

Pros: Looks deadly, fully-loaded with features, Its Netscape!!

Cons: Some small glitches, kinda slow to load on really old PCs

Review: If you have a broadband connection, look no further its absolutly awesome. This doesnt mean that its bad for narrow band its just that N8 feels more at home with a broad band connection, the new netscape.com suits well with the browser.
Its fast, safe and good to look at.

User Rating: 2/10

Good intentions with lots of features but doesn't workby netmore - July 7, 2005

Pros: Tabbed browsing, customizable toolbars with auto password form fill

Cons: Crashes continuously, pdf links sometimes don't work, touchpad won't scroll

Review: I have to wonder how long the folks from cnet that rated this product a 7.7 actually used the new browser. It doesn't take long to figure out that it is TERRIBLE at doing the one main thing you need it to do...browse for websites. It does have a lot of cool features built in that I would find very usefull if the browser could actually browse. Netscape will routinely crash when you have around 10 or so tabbed windows open and then you loose everything and have to try and remember what you had open. Clicking on some pdf. links would also make it crash. Some other annoyances are that clicking on some links in other programs like Outlook, would render a tab in Netscape but would not open the tab. I would have to manually click on the Netscape tab. Also, my touchpad mouse on my laptop has a scroll feature at the far right and bottom of the pad which works with every other program including Firefox and Explorer but does not with Netscape 8.0. Lastly, some of the pages would not open so I had to take an extra step of changing the rendering engine in that case. I think Netscape has some overall great ideas on building a browser program that can do so much more but they fell short on the most important features you need and come to expect in a good browser. If they were able to correct these problems, I would use it as my main program for everything I do on a daily basis becasue of the tabbed browsing and customizable toolbars. I have many sites that require a username and password in my business and it would be nice to have them automatically open in a customizable toolbar everytime I pull up my browser software. This is the reason I wanted to give Netscape 8.0 a try. However, after a dissapointing experience, I am switching back to Firefox and Explorer.

User Rating: 4/10

Nothing Newby Ebola - July 2, 2005

Pros: Tabs, appearance

Cons: Slow, spyware

Review: The only reason to switch from IE is the tabbed browsing, which nis a big positive.
however IE does everything else better and faster. Suggest Avant Browser to get all IE advantages plus tabs.

User Rating: 2/10

Netscape 8 constantly crashes -- no fix available yetby randyite - July 2, 2005

Pros: dual rendering engine -- if only the application would work

Cons: constant crashes -- known to Netscape -- render it unusable

Review: Many users, including this one, are having problems with Netscape 8 constantly crashing. In this case, 16 (application) crashes in 24 hours. The Netscape support site message boards are full of this news, but as of yet, no fix and no real explanation. There is plenty of speculation, but no confirmed causes. (Expect to be treated a bit condescendingly, defensively, and arrogantly by Netscape's message board proctors/monitors or whatever they are calling themselves.)

Be aware that this is a totally new browser -- not an update or upgrade of 7.2. The dual rendering engine is a great feature - if only it would work. At this point, Netscape 8.0.2 is unusable for this and many other users. Some ease and functionality in the control of cookies is lost from 7.2. A system of "trusted sites" is used. You can use Netscape's ratings or create your own on a case-by-case basis. The tabbed browsing (Netscape's best feature which puts it far above IE) is preserved. The user has some options as to how and when tabs are opened.

I, and countless others, would, I think, like this new browser if only it would function!

User Rating: 8/10

It's very good! I like it!by robbob - June 28, 2005

Pros: Good popup killer! Strong security! tab options! and more

Cons: alot of aol junk!

Review: I think it i great i like it! It is alot like firefox!

User Rating: 9/10

Best Browser I've ever used!by ryanw183 - June 25, 2005

Pros: Fast, secure, tons of convenient features

Cons: None that I can think of

Review: Wow... All the advantages of Firefox like speed and security, but the compatibility of Internet Explorer.

Netscape 8 has everything I could ever want.

User Rating: 8/10

Better Alternativeby dummyuser - June 22, 2005

Pros: Both world-class browsing engines are at your toolbox; your choice! :)

Cons: Complex user interface; the mutli-bars are the wors experience I have ever seen in my life!

Review: Instead of using Firefox to be away from the security flaws of IE, you better opt for Netscape 8 and customize your Web browsing experience. It just so simple to switch between both rendering engines, upon your request or automatically as per the downloaded white/black lists. On the other hand, Netscape 8 would be better than wrapping up IE rendering engine by Maxthon or Avast; it is much better.

Updated
Tab browsing is better than Firefox, and similar to Maxthon; I love it! Netscape 8 is fully customizable. It is also a great tool for Web developers, as you can aniticpate how your Web site could look like from both perspectives of IE and Firefox; this is a feature ported from Opera; however, it is just for both IE and Firefox, rather than for a full historical list of browsers as Opera does. It a pro for Opera, and con for Netscape, from a Web developer point-of-view only if you target the text-based browsers.

Updated
Instead of using Firefox to be away from the security flaws of IE, you better opt for Netscape 8 and customize your Web browsing experience. It just so simple to switch between both rendering engines, upon your request or automatically as per the downloaded white/black lists. On the other hand, Netscape 8 would be better than wrapping up IE rendering engine by Maxthon or Avast; it is much better. Tab browsing is better than Firefox, and similar to Maxthon; I love it! Netscape 8 is fully customizable. It is also a great tool for Web developers, as you can aniticpate how your Web site could look like from both perspectives of IE and Firefox; this is a feature ported from Opera; however, it is just for both IE and Firefox, rather than for a full historical list of browsers as Opera does. It a pro for Opera, and con for Netscape, from a Web developer point-of-view only if you target the text-based browsers.

User Rating: 9/10

The only browser you needby cullenski - June 20, 2005

Pros: Can render every webpage on the net. Security. Will work on older windows operating systems, unlike IE7.

Cons: Slow starting. Not as fast as Firefox when browsing.

Review: I think it is great because with it you can get rid of IE. It works with windows update, which was something I read it could not do. It also does not install AIM even though the person that wrote the CNET review thinks it does. Since I installed it I have deleting everyhting associated with IE and blocked IE with a fake proxy and could not be happier.

User Rating: 6/10

I use this only for windows update.by egzistuoju - June 15, 2005

Pros: Like because i can use for windows update.

Cons: hate because "eat's" very much of my computer RAM.

Review: Nothing i can add there.

User Rating: 4/10

Why make browsing difficult? Learn from Microsoft and Firefox!by nexus_215 - June 13, 2005

Pros: Nice colours and good pop-up blocker

Cons: Clumsy layout, too many features and the dreaded tabs

Review: Unfortunately Netscape have done it again. The key is simplicity in design, a stripped down version of the browser is what I like to see. Think how easy Google is to use and why? because it has a stripped down design. This is what Microsoft really excels in. It will do a lot of good if they get rid off the personal toolbar and the tabbed browsing. Tabbed browsing is the most annoying thing invented since the ring...ring...ding of the crazy frog! And the search field is really not needed as I would rather go to Google.

I know that a lot of these features can be removed by customising the browser to the person's liking; but a more sensible approach is to keep it simple and allow the user to add these features should they wish.

On the bright side though, any competition to MS is welcome and the colours (although tiring to the eye) are at least a unique feature and they have a better pop-up blocker than the one installed in IE if you use service pack 2 on WinXP.

Faris Hannoudi

User Rating: 2/10

I agree... unusableby bobdobbs - June 12, 2005

Pros: Don't know, uninstalled the thing after 10 minutes

Cons: Error messages!!

Review: No matter what URL I put in, it returns this error message EVERY time: "That domain name could not be found. Please check the name and try again." It then proceeds to load the page that "doesn't exist"... what garbage! It would be one thing if the error message popped up only once (not acceptable, per se, but perhaps bearable), but it pops up 4 or 5 times, every time. Looking forward to subsequent versions...

User Rating: 2/10

Finished product or finishing virusby jjhayne - June 11, 2005

Pros: screen shot looks nice

Cons: worst program ever tried and still trying to recover from it.

Review: This program kept hanging up right from the beginning--and if it cannot run on 768Mb memory what good is it? For the first time ever since running XP my computer froze and never recovered. Automatic Update doesn't work any longer and other programs that require "default" browswer no longer work either. Every time I open a link it opens up in IE....if I wanted to run IE I would just be using it instead. I then "uninstalled" it only to discover it was still there! Like I said, this is a disaster....worse program and more like a virus....even my antivirus program now acts differently! WARNING -- do not load this program and stick with NS 7.2 which works perfectly.

User Rating: 3/10

A bad releaseby erikhants - June 9, 2005

Pros: More secure than any browser? (i just believed them)

Cons: It needs to go on a diet. Very unstable.

Review: I tried this for one week on Windows XP and broadband connection.

As an average user, what i found is it crashes too frequently to the point of annoyance. It has features that many of us won't need, and it is just too difficult to customize.

This is Firefox's ugly and fat step-sister.

User Rating: 2/10

Crash Crash Crashby sophiedog - June 9, 2005

Pros: Looks slick. Lots of top bar features.

Cons: Totally unstable.

Review: I downloaded N8 to both my home computer and my work computer. I have NEVER been able to get it to work on my home computer, as soon as it finishes launching, it crashes. On my work computer it will work for a while, but then it randomly crashes. I usually use N7.1 at home and N7.2 at work without any problems.
The new version looks good, and seems to have lots of potential, but if it isn't a stable platform, its useless.

User Rating: 2/10

Great browser, hard to set up emailby gosrdr - June 7, 2005

Pros: Browser offers better security

Cons: Unless you have aol, yahoo, gmail, or hotmail the email is a bear to set up.

Review: I have tried on several occassions to set up my email but have been unsuccessful. That is a shame because the browser is incredibly great.

User Rating: 4/10

big bad & hugeby killjoy - June 7, 2005

Pros: feturs halve you ain't gona need

Cons: big bloted and slow

Review: use fire fox lets comare downoads size 29 vs 4 netscape and firefox respectively

User Rating: 8/10

Netscape 8.0 is the bet browser i have ever used so far.by sukumaran - June 6, 2005

Pros: Tabbed browsing with an easy option to close is a welcome feature; The duel behaviour of explorer/firefox is a boon for netscape lovers to open secure websites; aesthetically better looking browser

Cons: slow to load; there are no options on changing the skin

Review: All in all a well presented browser that windows loyalists should look at. Though with occassional hang ups (dont know whether its the problem with Win XP SP2) its a nice experience using Netscape 8.0

User Rating: 10/10

its the best i have seen its so fast and efficientby krishna_24_vamshi - June 5, 2005

Pros: its cool interface,it brings on both value of ie and speed of firefox and ofcourse the security its a deadly combination

Cons: cant spot one yet

Review: its too good go get it as soon possible guys the netscape guys maybe thinking of price tag sooner seeing the rush for it

User Rating: 3/10

Its unsuable, wait until bugs are ironed outby madexec - June 4, 2005

Pros: Good concept, high security, clean interface, many features

Cons: Too buggy, doesnt work as expected, hangs all the time

Review: The dual engine concept is good - trouble is it doesnt work. my bank site for example doesnt open - it works in IE - but not Netscape's "IE".

Most frustrating is the fact that it hangs too often - it doesnt matter if i have 1 tab open or 10. it hangs 6 out of 10 times i use it.

Think the developers were in too much of a hurry to release this product. Think it might have backfired - im still sticking with Firefox - it rules!

Netscape 8 is also extremely heavy on RAM resources - around 3 times more than Firefox and 2 times more than IE. So if you're running a slow machine with low RAM, would suggest Firefox.

In conclusion, i think its best to wait for the product to stabilise. Right now its not worth the effort.

Here are my ratings:
Interface - 6
Dual rendering engine concept - 7
Implementation - 3
Stability - 1
Loading speed - 5
Resource consumption - 2
Security features - 7
Security implementation - 4

User Rating: 3/10

Still the Fat & Sloppy Netscapeby ettan - June 2, 2005

Pros: None that I could think of

Cons: Large footprint, high memory consumption, nothing innovative

Review: Download size is still big at 13MB for windows version.

Its large footprint also extends to the memory consumption -- found that Netscape 8 takes over 70MB and Firefox (1.0.4) takes only 20MB to display a particupar page. Can't understand why as both use the same Gecko engine.

It's both a good & bad idea to have the IE rendering option in Netscape 8 - Hey, if I wanted IE rendering, I would have used IE!!

User Rating: 2/10

Switching to firefox-too many issuesby netthrasher - May 30, 2005

Pros: looks and souds good

Cons: functionally a disaster-nothing seems to work well

Review: Where to start? No email client support, very slow, hangs often, cookie and passcard management has many flaws. I really tried to make it work but I get the feeling AOl just wants people to stop using netscape. I am uninstalling and using firefox. I am dissapointed because some of the features seemed pretty cool- if they only really worked.

User Rating: 8/10

Love it and strongly recommendedby ptsong - May 29, 2005

Pros: Fast and snappy

Cons: Graphic interface looks dated.

Review: This is a biggest Netscape improvement for years! Hat off!!!!!

User Rating: 3/10

Constantly stalls and hangsby kztwang - May 29, 2005

Pros: Lots of good features

Cons: Difficult to configure and constantly stalls and hangs

Review: I've used lots of different browsers and Netscape has always been a favourite of mine but Netscape 8 hangs unforgivably regularly. It's also next to impossible to configure many of its features (eg. the Google search bar that refuses to go away unless you put it in its own toolbar and hide that toolbar, tab browsing that keeps popping up when you just want things to open in a new window). I uninstalled it within 3 days.

User Rating: 8/10

good but need to fix some bugs and improve UI designby eatnoodle - May 29, 2005

Pros: two engines which means i dont have to open IE from time to tim

Cons: clumsily designed interface,and way too much AOL stuff bundled with

Review: thanks god we average user dont have to struck beteen a big slow and arrogant microsoft,and a bunch of crazy self-blinded and even more arrogant open-sourcers,actually personally i like opera 8 best,but like all non-IE browsers there are always some sites simply dont work with opera,so i descide to give long forgotten netscape a try,the result is far from perfect,but the two engines thing definitly impress me,so at least for now netscape 8 have my backing

User Rating: 7/10

Best-looking Netscape yet.by rpz - May 27, 2005

Pros: Superior appearance to earlier versions and IE. Built-in IE/Firefox engines. Intuitive Security controls.

Cons: Tabbed browsing is tricky! Haven't figured out how to turn it off like in Firefox. Problem with Auto-Disconnect feature. Won't load yahoo home page after initially connecting to internet.

Review: This is the best Netscape yet especially in appearance. Like the layout of all the toolbars/options.

Haven't figured out how to disable Tabbed browsing completely.

For some reason if I set my page to a yahoo page I receive a message that the web site could not be found. This happens after initially connecting to the internet and with Firefox as well. This does not happen when using a non-Yahoo page. Hmmmm.

I use the Auto-Disconnect feature in IE which is under Tools-Options-Connection-Advanced. This version of Netscape prompts me to Stay Connected/Disconnect when selecting a link on a web page or from the address bar. Not sure why.

Overall a good start. Hope they get some of the bugs worked out.

User Rating: 8/10

Advanced programs dont use a lot of memory/cpuby Fahad - May 26, 2005

Pros: Looks good, email support, dl manager, fast install (and uninstall), antispyware

Cons: Advanced programs dont use a lot of memory/cpu, and this is not an advanced program

Review: I tried this once and i thought it was pretty good. I dont have the fastest computer but it loaded and shutdown fast enough, however it performed slowly. Not so much that i couldn't stand it but it can be annoying at times. The email manager could use work. I couldn't log on to two different yahoo accounts one after another without having to log off first. not a big problem but it could be done better. It didnt crash for me in the time i was using it unlike for some other people. Its a good browser and it could have been my default one if it wasn't for two things: One, netscape made the aol browser...and i hated that, and two, because im way to in love with the avant browser (http://www.avantbrowser.com/). Avant browser is like a slicker looking, faster perfoming firefox with an IE engine, plus a lot of useful features (for me at least), unlike those other useless things like yellow book look up and news reporter stuff on netscape.

User Rating: 2/10

big disappointmentby markrduk - May 26, 2005

Pros: smart looking and good features

Cons: slows system down big time!

Review: I was expecting good things from this release of netscape... its been a long time coming! And I have to say, I was very impressed when it eventually loaded.

It really has the feel of a 'next generation' browser. The graphics make internet explorer look dull and ancient, and the added features are great! Tabbed browsing is probably the only thing that the majority of people will get use out of however, with the possible exception of pop-up blocking and maybe the weather 'thing', which surprise surprise seems only to work if you live in the U.S.... isnt that the case with everything these days!

Unfortunately however, as great as it looks, actually using this browser is another thing entirely! As I said... it seems to take forever to load... as do webpages for some reason... and almost crashes when you do something simple as search google! (And my computer is pretty fast!) It also messes up any music you happen to be playing by jittering it whenever you load a webpage for some reason... a bit like IE used to do 5 or so years ago when we all had good old Win 98!

Put simply... it seems great on paper... but in practice its a bit rubbish at the moment! My advice would be to hang on a while until they get all the problems sorted or use something like 'avant browser' which offers almost the same features and doesn't kill your PC! (It's also free and uses the Internet Explorer engine so doesn't take forever to download!)

User Rating: 9/10

Safe AND compatible browserby pcj76 - May 26, 2005

Pros: uses both firefox and internet explorer engine

Cons: stability could be improved

Review:

User Rating: 8/10

They have come a long way from the original - still needs a tune up, but getting there.by rgonut - May 25, 2005

Pros: Faster, blocks pop-ups, no security issues.

Cons: Hangs up once and a while, have to reboot OS.

Review: Netscape doesn't play nice with Internet Exployer. If you decide to try Netscape, I would suggest you uninstall I.E. and/or use Netscape it as your default browser. Just a suggestion!

User Rating: 3/10

Crash it may, crash it mightby jamesm0909 - May 24, 2005

Pros: Nice interface

Cons: Memory error, no worky

Review: I have been using Firefox for months and I have never had a crash. I use multitab browsing and I go to secure, non-secure, and heavily graphic and plug-in enabled sites. Firefox works like a champ. I gave NS 8 a try, and it gives me some memory error and crashes. Reminds me of the wonderful NS 6 and all of its buggery. Nice try NS, but I removed your browser and am back to trusty Firefox.

User Rating: 4/10

Not intuitive, tabs unstable.by Ed Cuneo - May 24, 2005

Pros: Lots of features, looks good

Cons: loads slow, interface not intuitive, windows will change without reason, freezes up during certain operations.

Review: I don't think this product was ready for prime time. The list of cons just about says it all. It is slow loading, and learning how to set up the interface, for me, was not intuitive. I have had the window spontaneously change tabs on me for no reason. Freeze ups will occur if things get too busy. I have to use the task manager to stop the application several times since installing it. I also don't like the way it handles the passwords. I was never sure if they had been imported from 7.2. I have had to refer to my hardcopy password list too many times. I am going back to NS 7.2 and its associated mail program.

User Rating: 8/10

if it looks like Firefox, works like Firefox...hmmm Its FIREFOXby aruban1 - May 23, 2005

Pros: IE/Firefox engines, easy setup, History/Tracks eraser

Cons: can not remove search button from toolbar

Review: Hmmm. If you love Firefox you will love Netscape 8... like a lost twin that has been found. Version 8.0.1 is a breeze and you get rid of the icons and have text only buttons YAY! I know some of us missed that feature, no more big fat icons taking up screen space. I hope we get more skins for it soon.

User Rating: 7/10

not bad at allby saltysk - May 23, 2005

Pros: looks cool

Cons: slow sometimes

Review: I'm impressed with netscape8. I just started using it. In my books, firefox is first, followed by netscape. IE rest in peace. unless bill brings something really radical to IE.

User Rating: 3/10

Doesn't work!by me_at_my_house - May 23, 2005

Pros: Installs quickly, that's about it for pros

Cons: Sorry, it doesn't run

Review: I was excited to learn about the newest browser. My first WWW browsing experience was with Netscape 2.0, so naturally, my heart goes with this browser. The installation process was simple and quick. However, it won't load and/or run. It hangs. It uses 90% CPU processes and doesn't come up. I didn't install any of the extras that come along with (ie weather system tray). For you geeks for comparison - I'm using a PIII 800 w/512, winxp pro. Bummer!

User Rating: 5/10

Nice interface, but NS dropped the email client!by tg_iv - May 23, 2005

Pros: Slick interface, IE rendering, better security

Cons: NO EMAIL CLIENT!!!!!

Review: Considering the browser similarity to Firefox, it can't be that hard to "borrow" the code for Thunderbird.I'll be keeping NS 7.2 until they re-integrate the email client or MS leapfrogs them with a more secure browser. I already use Outlook for my work email, it's not difficult to set up an account for home. If NS doesn't close this gap, their window to direct me through their portal will close.

User Rating: 6/10

Good, As Far As It Goesby bhartman33 - May 23, 2005

Pros: Better password storage features than Firefox; Interesting RSS capability

Cons: Lack of extensions; Lack of true RSS reader

Review: There are some good things about Netscape's latest browser. First, you can have RSS feeds in your toolbar. Second, the Passcard feature more easily stores usernames and passwords. Finally, you can switch between Firefox and IE compatibility, for those sites which still (stubbornly) don't support Firefox correctly.

Where Netscape falls down is in support for themes and extensions. Currently, there are no extensions for Netscape, and only 2 themes. It would also be nice if Netscape could automatically default to IE only if there's a problem loading Firefox. IE should not automatically be run on "trusted" sites.

User Rating: 6/10

Fine, but default for trusted should be Firefoxby yfan - May 21, 2005

Pros: Slick looks

Cons: We don't need a Firefox shell

Review: Netscape 8.0 is a fine browser. Nice slick skin, useful toolbars (I wish this weren't there by default, but it can be removed easily), and some nifty security features. However, it operates on the assumption that any "trusted" site should be given a key to your system - i.e. you browse them with IE. The assumption that just because Netscape says a site is "trusted", security ought to be sacrificed for that site is ridiculous. And so is the notion that it somehow helps "compatibility." Firefox is more compatible with standards, not less so than IE. And there is very very very few sites that have compatibility problems with Firefox anymore - the Mozilla team has been extraordinarily successful with their outreach efforts. Not only do you lose a good part of security on trusted sites, you also lose the Gecko engine's magic. But, fortunately you can set it so that all sites - unless you specify otherwise on a site by site basis - will always use the Firefox engine, trusted or not. Here's how (the following is a reposting from my personal blog):

1. Go to Tools - Options
2. Click on Site Controls on the left
3. Under 'Master Settings' choose 'I trust this site' and set your Rendering Engine to Firefox (this one is set to default to IE).
4. Now, click through the other options and make sure the Rendering Engine for each of these options are set to Firefox (as is the default).
5. Under My Settings, choose each specific site and make sure they are set to display with the Firefox engine, with the exception of the WindowsUpdate site.

OR, you can choose to completely ignore Netscape's preferences altogether. Here's how:

1. Under 'Site Controls', choose the 'Trust Preferences' tab.
2. Choose the radio button, "Do Not Use Netscape trust ratings" and set to "I'm not sure" as the setting to use under there.
3. Of course, make sure under the site list tab that "I'm not sure" setting uses Firefox as the default Rendering Engine.

The other problem with Netscape is you can't install Firefox's awesome extensions. I cannot live without Adblock, FoxyTunes, and a few other extensions. Don't get me wrong, Netscape 8.0 is a good browser, and if you follow the above instructions to always use the Firefox engine it's even better, but Firefox is still the King of Browsers.

User Rating: 3/10

Crashed when used within 5 minsby pseudo1237 - May 21, 2005

Pros: Better then IE Explorer I guess

Cons: Has Firefox done long before what Netscape's tried to offer now?!

Review: Similar to what Firefox has long offered in terms of functions. Did not have chance to test it as it HAD CRASHED before I wanted to. But still better than what IE currently is.

User Rating: 9/10

Great new version with great interface!by sjan - May 20, 2005

Pros: Great interface, enhanced security, fast browsing!

Cons: Cons? What cons?!

Review:

User Rating: 1/10

I have tried to install it three times now and it immediately crashes each time it is run.by steckel - May 20, 2005

Pros: none, it just never ran to have any pro

Cons: it simply doesn't work

Review: I have a fairly simple XP Home machine with few frills installed, plenty of memory and hard drive space. Netscape 8 goes through the entire install process but when it launches for the first time (and any time subsequent), it crashes. I am guessing that the MS IE people are chuckling at all the error messages I am generating and sending to them. I have sent an email to Netscape and heard nothing. I will stay with Firefox.

User Rating: 1/10

Invasive EULA -- AIMby Jon_T - May 20, 2005

Pros: Site Security Controls

Cons: Invasive EULA -- Have to install AIM

Review: Didn't CNET or anyone else read the Netscape 8 EULA (End User License Agreement)?

Besides requiring to install AIM/AOL Media Player, the Netscape 8 EULA is the most invasive I have ever seen for any application.

I find it mindboggling that anyone would accept a EULA that requires you to agree that it can enter your computer at will and do anything it pleases to a computer without notifying the owner AND stating software or "tampering" can't be used to block AOL/Netscape or related 3rd party ads.

This is one application I'll never install on any of my sytems or recommend to anyone I consider a friend!

User Rating: 1/10

Bigger, but is it better?by Tuggerofhearts - May 20, 2005

Pros: None, that I can see

Cons: Loaded with bugs and unwanted info.

Review: Not being a computer expert, I rely on what others tell me about many PC programs. Personally, I am afraid to even install the program. The last time I downloaded and installed a "improved" Netscape bropwser program my previous version of Netacape was deleted, and I was stuck with a program that took until the present time to understand (and I'm still not happy with it). From all the reviews I have read, it is obvious that this version of Netscape (8) is way too cluttered for me. I like and need simple, clean pages. I do not like my e-mails lumped together (I have and use several e-mail providers for different purposes). The only good feature I have heard about is the ability to browse more than one website without the necessity of opening a new browser page. I'll stick to my current 7.0 version, thank you (but would much prefer the older 4.6 version).
Still, I like NS over IE, if only it didn't confuse me so much with the changes.

User Rating: 1/10

Crashes continuallyby RAConnell - May 20, 2005

Pros: Tabbed web pages

Cons: Crashes continually

Review: It is possible that when one tabbed window is loading opening another tabbed page causes Netscape 8.0 to crash.

User Rating: 1/10

As Netscape 7.2 user, I feel seriously betrayedby petersig - May 19, 2005

Pros: Documentation looks okay; pretty

Cons: A long list; pretty is as pretty does

Review: Netscape 7.2 is my favorite browser. The feature I use most, which is most different from other browsers, is the "View" Menu's Text Zoom. Because so many websites have infinitesimal print sizes at 1068 resolution, I have found that I am comfortable with a zoom factor of 135%, and can use Netscape 7.2's "Other" setting, under Text Zoom, to specify 135%. I had deep hopes that the new version would go the extra mile and allow me to set 135% and forget it, instead of having to set the Text Zoom to 135% on every new tab, and every time I called up Netscape. I tend to close it out and reopen it several times in the course of a day. That means that resetting the zoom is a significant chore. Mozilla 1.8, but not Mozilla Firefox, has a similar feature, with a similar "chore" quality.

Netscape 8 has devolved to the use of the plus sign to increase website text size, as in Internet Explorer. That has never worked for me; whatever the setting, it seems to be canceled out by a significant number of websites, that just go their own way. Then those sites that are sensitive to the + and ++ size indicaters are suddenly, when one browses to them, too large. There's never a single useful setting.

Netscape 8 does not seem to have made any advances in customizing its interface for people with disabilities. That might be another way to put in a Text Zoom feature, but it is not there.

I looked at the security setting stuff. The browser came with a list of trusted sites, that included several aol.com and aim.com sites, not in my history files, and no earthlink.net sites, although my history files would have had them. It looked as though one could designate whether the listed files were trusted, not sure, or distrusted. I tried changing the aol.com and aim.com sites to "distrusted," but was unable to do so. What good is the rating if you can't indicate a site you don't trust--and for good reason I do not trust AOL?

A third negative: I thought the customizable toolbars would be great. However, I'm used to using Google as my home page, and don't need a search window on a toolbar, especially one that's to the left of the URL bar, and larger than it as well. So I tried changing that toolbar around, by dragging or deleting the windows or the new stuff to the right. It was not intuitive; probably if I had been motivated to make this browser work, I could have RTFM, but at this point I just did not care.

If Netscape 8 were better than IE, then the chance to continue browsing with Netscape when encountering an IE-specific site would be great. It's always been a pain to have to switch from my 135% text zoom to some other browser, except that Mozilla 1.8 (not Mozilla Firefox 1.0.8) does have the same Text Zoom menu as Netscape 7.2. I hope it stays put in Mozilla 1.8 and future versions.

PS: I used the "rating" wizard, that steps one through 4 questions, to arrive at a rating. The gauge does not show exactly a 1. It's slightly above that. Everything I tried was a disappointment, given that I use Netscape 7.2 all the time. That is why the rating is so low.

User Rating: 8/10

Inbetween Firefox and IEby vandellyr - May 19, 2005

Pros: IE and Firefox engines availalble in one place. Tabbed browsing..many Firefox like features.

Cons: AOL features installed without asking

Review: Its been awhile since I have really taken a look at Netscape. However, this version of the browser is pretty decent. I like having the ability to switch between Firefox and IE engines all in the same place. When I want to visit a site that "needs" IE, I can do it. Sure, this program will use some resources with it accessing either engine. At least, you don't have to have two browsers open on the desktop.

On install, it does ask you about installation of 3rd party things you may or may not want. It does install AIM without asking however, since this is an AOL product, I would expect some "use AOL product" features.

This version also has Tabbed browsing. The fusion skin is a nice interface with the search Google tool more towards the left and top.

I haven't looked through all the features but my first impressions of this browser is that it is a nice middle to IE and Firefox.

User Rating: 4/10

Firefox clone; looks like it gave up Composerby notathand - May 19, 2005

Pros: Bookmarks grops of tags; looks good

Cons: No Composer. That was it's edge for me. Bye.

Review:

User Rating: 8/10

Needs work but this is PR anywaysby ny3ranger - May 19, 2005

Pros: Amazing things you can do. Set up all you email accounts, and just be 1 click away from reading email. Works with AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail without a problem.

Cons: Does tend to crash from time to time. More then Firefox or IE. Resource intensive. Uses about 40 megs of ram as opposed to firefox which uses 20 and IE. I loaded up a lot of things, 100meg Ram

Review: Im sure AOL will get their act together by the time its released and get more stability in the next couple of weeks.

User Rating: 5/10

It has not changed, just prettier.by cancerman66 - May 19, 2005

Pros: Good looking. It can be uninstalled as well.

Cons: AOL suck and is worse than Microsoft.

Review: I have tried many times to like Netscape, Mozilla and Firefox but everytime I try I find myself back to IE6 within a week. It is still slower than IE6 and some pages still don't work. They now render IE pages but who cares? Use IE6 if you want faster more compatible surfing. Don't worry Bill, nothing to worry about here.

User Rating: 8/10

Love the new skinby bogey9000 - March 31, 2005

Pros: Firefox, multiple link bars

Cons: Memory hog, confusing tab setup

Review: Given a little more work, this could stop me from having to run 2 browsers. About time!

User Rating: 9/10

Has windows update compatability!by Jammerdelray - March 29, 2005

Pros: Windows update compatable, based on firefox, opens ie for non conforming web pages

Cons: beta based on firefox 1.0 is buggy, crashes, not based on firefox 1.02

Review: So far the only browster other than IE 7 that features full windows update compatability by automaticly switching to IE when you click windows update which opens within the netscape browser...based on firefox the state of the art more secure browser, Built in anti phishing, tabbed windows and more. but wait for the final verson to get it...very imressive and not to mention convenient!

User Rating: 4/10

Way, Way too much gunk built into design!by crrp6501 - March 24, 2005

Pros: Looks nice--at first, built on the mozilla engine

Cons: Button Overload! The 'tabs' feature. Some kinks

Review: I use Firefox v1.02 and I love the ease of use and just plain beauty involved in the design. When I first took a look at Netscape, I just felt 'overloaded' with all the buttons and 'options'. Firefox keeps things simple and smooth, while Netscape wants to drive you nuts with it's 1001 option all at once..it just makes it hard to look for what you want with all that clutter. The 'tabs' feature is mediocre simply because they made the tabs too big..in firefox their small taking up less screen room. AND you're not going to believe this...I go to give a review by first logging into cnet.com's site while in Netscape and after the site pops up on my netscape browser suddenly default's to the 'search' page; as if I'd entered Cnet.com in the Netscape Search with all the 'results' for cnet.com. I tried this twice finally gave up and used my firefox browser to write my review. Netscape still sucks when compared with the more efficient firefox.

User Rating: 4/10

too many bugs at the present maybe they can be fixedby giblamite - March 22, 2005

Pros: comfortable layout easy to use

Cons: can not load plugins for java or shockwave

Review: Its very interesting and if all the bugs can be worked out it would be a great alternative to IE

User Rating: 4/10

Good Browser, but it is a bad call by netscape, FireFox Ripoffby bassfisherman292 - March 22, 2005

Pros: Tabbed Browsing, thats about it

Cons: After carefully inspecting it, i noticed that the Menus in the Tool bar are the exact same as FireFox. Also, all the links for shopping, weather, and such go to Netscape or Netscape partner's sites.

Review: Overall, it is a complete ripoff of FireFox. FIreFox has revolutionized Web Browsing and Netscape just used that to make this, excpt it Netscape green, which is extremely ugly looking. I found no way to change it. My opinion, Dont waste your time on it.

User Rating: 9/10

looks goodby bill-net - March 22, 2005

Pros: saves tool bar space

Cons: no link to Netscape html editor (Composer)

Review: I still have (on 2 computers) Netscape 7.1, 7.2, Firefox, and Netscape 8.0 beta. I refuse to use IE any version. I still keep NS 7.2 for it's Composer for email and html editing of web pages.

User Rating: 5/10

hasn't firefox solved the ie problem?by spottycat - March 22, 2005

Pros: how many alternatives do we need?

Cons: never tried it.

Review: used netscape when it first came out, before windows, ie, etc took over. now there is firefox.

the libertarian in me was hoping firefox and netscape had come together to do it better.

i know firefox is doing it better, is there a reason to go back to netscape?

User Rating: 9/10

Welcome Back Netscapeby pjkt01 - March 22, 2005

Pros: Fast, tabbed browsing, personalized numbered trays

Cons: still in beta, some very minor bugs

Review: All in all I remember netscape back from the 4.7x days and this one is going to be the comeback for netscape. I love everything about it. Especially the numbered personalized trays at the top. Still some minor bugs to work out all in all this is GREAT. WB Netscape, this is now my only browser.

Updated
I beta tested 8.0 and I have always liked netscape back from 4.x and it has never given me a problem. I know 8.x is based on Firefox but it is different, certain sites that dont work with firefox i.e. LAUNCH, work with netscape cause of its IE interface, Great browser and now my only browser!!!

User Rating: 9/10

Fast and very slickby TurboTad - March 18, 2005

Pros: Fast page rendering, wicked RSS features, IE rendering

Cons: Mildly odd anti-phishing features which need a little tweaking.

Review: I'm very impressed with this new iteration of the browser - what I feel is the first new release of >>any<< browser since 1996. The RSS features are awesome, with all of the dynamic bookmarks and configurable toolbars. I'd recommend it.

User Rating: 6/10

Netscape 8 Beta not much more than a pretty facadeby hpbills - March 16, 2005

Pros: Long-overdue update on the Netscape browser

Cons: Ties in with Internet Explorer

Review: Netscape's new browser looks very nice and its functionality still beats Internet Explorer. However, the fact that the option is there to use IE's rendering engine is a big reason why I may not adopt it as my standard browser when the final release is available. The whole point I've been using Netscape 7 for the past several years is because it is *not* IE. Netscape 7 has no problems rendering 95% of the websites I visit. Firing up IE 6 is only necessary for the other 5% that won't display or function correctly, and (surprise!) those sites are usually Microsoft-created websites.

I prefer running a browser that has nothing to do with Internet Explorer. If I want to use IE, I will start it myself. Therefore, I will likely switch to Mozilla's Firefox browser. It's above-par with Internet Explorer, and best of all it's still it's own product.

-hpbills

User Rating: 9/10

Beats other offeringsby xanophile - March 14, 2005

Pros: Webmail, IE Engine, Multitool bars

Cons: It's a beta, the skin needs work

Review: I would use this before I would use Firefox. Unlike Firefox, it renders every page properly, has a nice set of tab features and functions better overall. The secrity functions built into each tab means that every site displays exactly as you like it, not globally. The webmail integration is brilliant, making a need for an installed mail client obsolete.

Firefox doesn't handle any mail client well, not even it's own Thunderbird. Links get lost, it forgets what mail program you're using as default and after using it for a while, link clicking pretty much stops functioning. I don't know what's wrong with Firefox in that respect, but it needs fixing immediately. None of those problems have been apparent in Netscape 8 beta, so obviously the team they have working on it is aware of Ff's shortcomings.

Netscape really seems to be aware of what people are moving towards. Web based email, security (activex can be easily shut down or activated without restarting) and ease of use are all hilites of this browser.

The most interesting thing about it is the ability to use both engines. What this means is that badly coded pages can be viewed without the need to open another program (IE). To me, this is a huge step forward in browsing as we've always needed two browsers on our systems. One we like, and one we need. Netscape 8 discards that idea and renders any page perfectly.

I'd recommend this product before FireFox. The advances Netscape 8 offers over FireFox make this a clear choice.

User Rating: 9/10

NS 7.2 great for casual-to-heavy websurfing as is FF 1.0by Reigh - March 13, 2005

Pros: Tabbed browsing, organization of bookmarks, content-heavy homepage, integrated Chatzilla IM, decent default GUI

Cons: Limited themes (at least, Im not able to find any even using IXQuick Metasearch AND Google), no integration of iTunes like FF 1.0 has, NS search is a little weak.

Review: Im using FF 1.0 to write this review, and it actually froze up when my YIM announced a contact coming online... go figure. FF needs to many plugins to be user friendly, but once you have 'em, is not that bad. ANY browser is better than IE.

User Rating: 7/10

Good start, but many bugs to fixby 207 - March 13, 2005

Pros: Improvement on tabs; Great security; Loading stuff up that could only be played by IE before (as promised)

Cons: sometimes, java doesn't work properly; when multi-tab surfing, it takes much longer to load each tab (and I'm using cable).

Review: It is definiately a great start point for Netscape 8. I like the improved tab. Also, as promised, it does load Only IE staff. but there are also a great amoung of bugs to fix. Java sometimes does not work. And the speed greatly reduces when you are multi-tab surfing.
Also, I am not so wild about the new interface; I personally enjoy and like the modern look from netscape 7, and I hope I could still have that option in the final version.

User Rating: 9/10

Firefox is overhypedby PopHoliday - March 13, 2005

Pros: The UI is better the the oversimplified Firefox

Cons: It has crashed quite a few times (beta I guess)

Review:

User Rating: 9/10

Nice concepts, but miss the email readerby methos495 - March 11, 2005

Pros: Standards Compliant, Switchable browser engine, tabbed browsing, secure, very modular

Cons: comes with a ton of unnecessary defaults, no email reader.

Review: Wow! This is big departure from Netscape's previous releases. I thought 7.2 was fantastic. This blows it out of the water. I do like the fact that you can switch browser engines if a page doesn't work. I do miss email through. The 7.2 email reader is my primary reader. Of course I really couldn't tell the difference between firefox and 7.2, considering they were both pretty much the same thing with the same engine. Netscape only added a few more defaults (which really are unnecessary) They followed suit in 8.0b It still comes with a ton of unnecessary defaults that I had to go through and shut off...Honestly in the release version, I hope they keep everything off, and allow the user to turn functionality on. It's is a bit annoying. So far however NS8 hasn't given me any issues. I was able to migrate from 7.2 to 8 without any hitches, and it's faster and much more stable. How about that?

User Rating: 5/10

locked up, no netscape mailby bkimlaw - March 9, 2005

Pros: None for me.

Cons: Same as detailed in th on line summary.

Review: Will not use until bugs are out.

User Rating: 7/10

Improvement over Netscape 7.2by skullmurphy - March 8, 2005

Pros: I like the multiple tabs and passcard and history eraser

Cons: Still has some bugs like crashing sometimes

Review: Overall, It would be my browser of choice. I have always liked Netscape over IE. I won't change now, especially with this new version.

User Rating: 9/10

FIREFOX IS NOT THAT GOODby AMDCam - March 8, 2005

Pros: both of the most popular browsers built into 1

Cons: I haven't used it yet

Review: Why does everyone say firefox is perfect? It's not even close to any other browser. It doesn't let you stream video well, you have to get plugins for everything, and it's exactly like IE.

User Rating: 5/10

Not as good as Firefoxby wicook - March 8, 2005

Pros: tabbed browsing

Cons: Won't run Firefox extensions

Review: While it has advantages over IE, it still limps along in comparison to Firefox with all its extensions. I have several Firefox extensions installed that provide the same or better functionality than what Netscape 8 offers -- at least in this beta version.

User Rating: 8/10

makes life easier! Very customizable!by RRUTTR - March 8, 2005

Pros: ability to switch engines, means almost no website gets left behind

Cons: rendition of some IE sites still not quite right

Review: I love the way I can just right click and choose the other engine when a site misbehaves, yet even in Internet explorer mode I still have all the firefox like features, tabbing, etc. It is very configurable and customizable. Makes easy work of multiple webmail accounts, etc. Still has the occasional misfire in IE mode, but on the whole this browser looks as though I can have my cake and eat it too! I never thought I would consider a return to Netscape after they pissed me off with so many troubklesome releases, but i have actually made this my default browser. I wasn't willing to do that with firefox, because so many sites i use regularly wouldn't work in it. But they do in netscape, and I find the popup management much more flexible too.

User Rating: 7/10

Beats Mozilla, but not Firefoxby Tuntis - March 8, 2005

Pros: Works fast, actually isn't so horrible anymore

Cons: That skin, still the old Netscape with everything popping up

Review: It is better than the old versions, but it's still Netscape.

User Rating: 7/10

Better than firefoxby Hellcat - March 8, 2005

Pros: Loads fast, and uses IE on pages that can't be rendered well on firefox

Cons: Still not as fast as IE

Review: I'll stick with Maxthon for now, hopefully they'll fix some of the problems when it gets out of beta. It does fix some problems that Firefox has, it doesn't freeze up on me when I shut it down like firefox does. I like the way it uses tabs better, but still not perfect. Its a good start, I hope it gets better as time goes on.

User Rating: 3/10

MAIN PROBLEM: not being mozilla firefoxby jeremydude2005 - March 7, 2005

Pros: this program is capable of going to download.com and getting firefox.

Cons: just use firefox... if you have to look at reviews to know if you should get this or not that shows you dont need it or you would know exactly why already... firefox is simply the best browser out now

Review:

User Rating: 4/10

Disappointingby dreamzunltd - March 7, 2005

Pros: Neat UI, IE Rendering

Cons: Slow, Eats up memory

Review: Looked very promising but wsa disappointed after the first try. Just slows down your machine. Tried www.espn.com and it just hung, didnt matter what rendering I used.

Considering that its still a beta, there is time to get it right. But for now, I will stick to my firefox.

User Rating: 3/10

Who needs it?by neilparks - March 7, 2005

Pros: None that I can see

Cons: Less user-friendly than Firefox

Review: The only thing Netscape 8 does that Firefox does not is that it launches IE to display sites that are not standards-compliant. But FF has an "extension" (optional available add-on) called "IE View" that does the same thing. Just right click and select "View this page in IE" off the context menu.

User Rating: 7/10

Should be great once its finalby pramilainc - March 7, 2005

Pros: Better compatibility, more features, more control

Cons: Buggy at best

Review: Better compatibilty becos IE integration, More control over tabbed browsing, more features (like auto login) better/easier security management...

Quite buggy, crashes often...

Should be awesome once its out of beta

User Rating: 4/10

It Is Bad Newsby MeanMother - March 6, 2005

Pros: Browser Looks Like Game Board

Cons: Runs Slower Than Explorer 6 + Web Mail Doesn't Work !

Review: 3-6-05 I Downloaded Netscape 8.0 Twice Get It To Work,Tab Browsing Creates Problems,Makes Even Slower,Mail Cannot Default,Places Your Web Mail On Netscapes Home Page,Can't Open Correctly! I Tried 3 Days Made Feedback To Netscape & I Deleted Netscape 8.0 Like I Deleted Mozilla 1.0 +Thunderbird Mail+ Advant Brower To-- Mail Didn't Work Either-BROWSER I STILL USE:

NETSCAPE 7.1-- It Moves So Fast My Eyes Blink,But-Web Mail I Can Send It-Not Receive Mail --You Must Go To Netscapes Home Page Read Web Mail,i.e. Mail Sent Or Received By Spam Junk Mailers!

WHY'D Netscape Set Up Mail This Way? SIMPLY:
Make Money $$$--You Get To Read All Advertisements,Pop Ups,Junk Mail!

It's All Big Trip To Nowhere-Reading Thumbs Down Reviews-Most Complained About Netscape 8.0,Web Mail,Freezes Up,To Slow!

Vincent Auto...

PS: Anybody Says Netscape 8.0 Is Breeze Doesn't Know Software-Simply They're on Something!

User Rating: 8/10

Very awesome broserby drummerboy627 - March 6, 2005

Pros: Combines IE rendering with Mozilla browser

Cons: Still in beta, and when IE 7 comes out, Netscape 8 will be blown out of the water (IE 7 is going to be Mozilla-based)

Review:

Updated
After using Netscape for a few days, I decided to dump it and return to Firefox, which has remained my browser ever since. Netscape is bloated and is a resource hog. It is also un-intuitive and not nearly as customizable as Firefox. It's Firefox all the way for me!

User Rating: 7/10

Would be great once out of betaby toblo - March 6, 2005

Pros: Gecko and IE engine. Gecko as DEFAULT :D

Cons: Bulky, footprint and RAM usage. Some bugs (Well, it's a beta anyway)

Review:

User Rating: 9/10

best beta I've seenby sonnu - March 5, 2005

Pros: pretty fast, configurable, provides the best of the two breeds.

Cons: Haven't noticed any yet.

Review:

User Rating: 5/10

IE Rendering Pathetic Ideaby ghall4834 - March 5, 2005

Pros: Use Gecko Rendering

Cons: Uses IE Rendering

Review: I using IE Rendering defeats the purpose of an Alternative Browser. Which is not to use IE. If I want to use IE would be using IE not Netscape 8.0. Using the IE Rendering Engine makes Netscape 8.0 Security just as pathetic as IE when using the IE Rendering Engine.

User Rating: 6/10

Slow & Bloated, Way to Busyby JSpilio - March 5, 2005

Pros: Multiple Rendering Engines

Cons: No way the average joe can figure this thing out.

Review: What the original Netscape 4.x series did, and what Internet Explorer and Firefox both do, is keep things simple, and fast. This new Netscape, however, is anything but simple, and is definetely not fast.

From a dizzying array of options in the browser's header to the intentional moving of common Windows elements like menubars, this new Netscape was built from the ground up to confuse the average user.

The primary argument in favor of even bothing with this new Netscape was that it was too much of a hassle for the average user to switch from Firefox to IE when a need arose. Well, my friends, using Netscape's switchable rendering system is going to be even more of a nightmare for the average user. Especially when data is lost on pages with shopping carts, forms, or frames.

Given the few sites that actually don't work with Gecko (like WindowsUpdate and that's it), I think most users will find this "feature" more of a nuicance. After all, the Netscape crowd uses Netscape to escape the problems of IE -- not to embrace them.

Usability issues aside, this new browser is dog slow and bloated to the max. The browser upon which it is based, Firefox, can be downloaded in a 4.7 MB install file. The new Netscape is two and a half times larger.

And with that double overhead you get, among other things, AOL's Internet Instant Messenger, a stripped down search bar that locks you into searching from Netscape's site, slow loading toolbars and sidebars, and a more.

Bottom Line:
If what you need is speed, then this isn't your browser. If want you need is ease of use, this isn't your browser.

User Rating: 9/10

netscape, long standing rival for IEby nigel98 - March 5, 2005

Pros: possibility to choose rendering engine

Cons: Not sure yet

Review: Netscape is a classic

User Rating: 9/10

Sleeker, more powerful Firefoxby yabloko - March 4, 2005

Pros: Dual-engine browser is a great idea, site controls very useful, tabbed browsing and passcard superior to Firefox, extremely customizable UI

Cons: A bit buggy, even for a beta, search bar is Netscape search only, demanding on system resources

Review: This version of Netscape vastly improves on 7.2 in almost every aspect. While the color selection might appear a bit overwhelming at first, once you've gotten used to it it's pretty nice. Almost every aspect of the browser is adjustable, even the menu bar. I find the multi-bar quite useful as well. For those who want more than a bare skin-and-bones browser like Firefox, this is a great choice. However, if your computer doesn't meet the requirements or you just don't need all the features Netscape 8 comes with, it's best to stick with Firefox.

User Rating: 8/10

LIke FireFox on speedby elitheeli - March 4, 2005

Pros: Has all cons of FF, tabbed browsing, great oganization

Cons: Still beta, has a few bugs, has identical menus to FF

Review: If you use IE, switch to this. If you use FF, then they are about equal. But I bet in a few monthes, there will a bigger selection of themes for NS 8.0

User Rating: 3/10

Firefox - There Can Be Only One!by giantyoda - March 4, 2005

Pros: AOL fans will love it (the rest of us will hate it)

Cons: Too many to list...specifically AOL and its relentless marketing tactics

Review: I'll get straight to the point. Mozilla Firefox is the browser that we've all philosophized about through the late 90's and early 00's (I'm a web developer). Finally its here...a good browser that is open source and adheres to W3C guidelines and new-tech applications. So, with that said, why don't we all make a vow to never install Internet Explorer or Netscape (or Opera and the rest of the bowling pins) on our machines and make the web a truly wonderful place. Like the Highlander, "there can be only one."

Whaddya say? Mozilla Firefox is the lord of web browsers. If you don't have it download it. Its free and is open source - which is a beauty in these times. Long live Gecko!

User Rating: 1/10

R.I.P. Netscapeby Elranzer - March 4, 2005

Pros: All pros can be gotten in Firefox at half the bulk

Cons: Internet Explorer integration, AOL marketting, need I say more?

Review: This is crap. The whole point of Netscape, an alternative browser, was to be an ALTERNATIVE.

Internet Explorer doesn't need a friend! This is just AOL marketting bullcrap. Netscape has gone from being the number one browser to multi-architecture free standard and now to cheap companion software to IE. Now that Mozilla is seperate, they need to deny AOL privledges to use Gecko like this.

Forced ugly look. More resources used up. Enterprise users are never going to adapt this browser if it forces "skins" into memory.

AOL marketting built-in (AOL sites and partners automatically listed as "Safe sites"... so their pop-ups go through).

Constant referrels to Netscape.com's services (so AOL can get no-AOL subscribers somehow).

With the IE integration, what does this mean for Mac, Linux and Unix releases? Netscape was never primarily Windows software and secondarily a "port" to the other OS's.

I don't know who this is targetting. Windows joe-sixpack computer dummies will just stick with Internet Explorer, and prive their computer-literate friends with spyware-blasing work. If they have geek friends, they'll be suggested Firefox. Computer geeks will just keep using Firefox. Enterprise users are unlikely to switch from Mozilla Suite or their heavily content-advised Internet Explorer. I think this is just AOL's way of getting to non-AOL subsribers.

So-called "Netscape Navigator 8" is no longer a browser at all anymore. What it is, is two browsers (Firefox and Internet Exploder) in one resource-hungry package. Skip this is you value performance.

User Rating: 9/10

One of best free softwareby doceinstein - March 4, 2005

Pros: Fast rendering, colorful interface, abundant of options & features

Cons: Unnable to access company's intranet, which requires IE5.5+

Review: Been a long time NS user and supporter (currently using 7.2). This version really kicks some booties. It only needs a few fine tunes here and there, then would be a super heavyweight browser.

I noticed that the integrated email program is not included with NS8 like previous NS versions (unless I'm wrong). Hope they add it back to NS8.

User Rating: 8/10

Where has everyone been?by ISARick - March 4, 2005

Pros: It isn't IE, but those of us who have been using Netscape since the early years know that!

Cons: I have seen a couple with Netscape, and that is memory usage and handling Java such as on the noaa.gov site.

Review: One thing I'm getting tired of is seeing how Netscape is begin compared to Firefox. Firefox did not invent tabbed browsing! I've been using it in Netscape for several years. And most everything I'm finding in Firefox, and Thunderbird, has been in Netscape for quite some time.

From article: (the nascent Netscape interface, which offers Firefox-style tabbed browsing (ah, how we love you, tabbed browsing).)

Why don't we give Netscape at least a "little" credit?

User Rating: 9/10

It's excellent, drop the I.E!!!by trevc - March 4, 2005

Pros: compatability, compatability, compatability

Cons: promotes non W3C standards

Review: If the world keeps saying it's OK not support CSS correctly, and use proprietary standards, the web will not be what it should!

User Rating: 9/10

The Best of Both worldsby waltsj19 - March 4, 2005

Pros: Supports ActiveX controls. Tabbed browsing. RSS feeds.

Cons: Supports ActiveX controls. Ugly skin with no other skins available yet. Toolbar customization is complicated and limited.

Review: ActiveX support is good and bad. Users need to take caution when enabling, which most won't. Also, the fact that you can not only save your passwords, but also log into sites automatically is a convenient, but dangerous feature. Didn't come with any options for the search engine by default, but those are easily copied over from Firefox and will hopefully be included in future releases. Overall a really good browser, especially for only beta. I'm just glad I don't have to use IE even for most of my IE-only pages (Outlook Web Access, MSN Gaming Zone, etc.) anymore.

User Rating: 8/10

Excelent Browserby david sherman - March 4, 2005

Pros: Uses Mozilla and IE engines and allows you to make the choice

Cons: The interface needs work

Review: I have been trying to switch from IE to firefox for sometime now and have been unable to do it 100%. Mainly because some pages require IE, namily my job and our bank. Now I can. since it uses both engines I amnot stuck with IE. I love the extra features, the new reader and weather are nice and I can turn the toolbar off if I want to. only thing is Firefox themes do not work, yet, maybe in a full release it will, I like being able to skin my browser and take full control of my experience and set it up the way I like. I say download it and give it a try, so far besides the themes and extensions not working I like what i see. and since it relies on the version of IE on your system to render it should use the IE7 engine once it's available for download from microsoft.

Updated
I've been using the beta for months now and love it. I just switched to the new version and I am using the new winscape skin(much cleaner) I turned off the personal bar because I do not need those features. You can choose to use the IE rendering engine or the Firefix engine. I told the browser to use Firefox as the default and pages that do not come up right I tell to use IE. it's got another layer of security no matter which engine you use. i even got Firefox's Add blocker to work. IT's fast, customizeble, secure, and dosn't integrate into windows like IE. I love it. if you haven't tried it ignore the naysayers and try it.

User Rating: 8/10

Quicker than Firefox, more features than IEby patriotjames - March 4, 2005

Pros: Quick, has Firefox features

Cons: Don't need splash screen at load-up

Review: Have only used for a day, but generally I like it better that Firefox, which I changed to from IE. Will try some of the advanced features.

User Rating: 8/10

I like it a lot - Currently Using NS 7.2by MaximusofTroy - March 4, 2005

Pros: Safe and Secure

Cons: Managing Cached Pages

Review: As a user of Mozzila's Fire Fox, Netscape 8.0 is more user friendly looking. Some of my IT customers were really big Netscape people so everone is happy to see NS's return.

Microsoft IE is on its death bed. Good job Mozilla and Netscape!

Robert

Updated
I really like what's new about Netscape!!!
It has been a long time since we have seen something new and as refreshing as NS 8.0. Wow, those IE people better star working overtime before they lose 50% of the browser market. Way to go Netscape/Mozilla!

User Rating: 9/10

Is all about security and been able to browse any site safely and fastby strykernyc - March 3, 2005

Pros: 9999999x 9999 more secure than ie plus will open any website. sounds to me like the future release of firefox but netscape stole the idea.

Cons: none other than i wish my windows would come with firefox or this netscape version instead of dangerous ie.

Review: turn on ur firewall "zonealarm" make sure is setup right. open ie and netscape/firefox visit a porn site n ie and see how u get trojans viruses etc... now open the same site n netscape or firefox and see how nothing happens, website opens work great but u dont get the bad stuff n ur computer and remember u will not see this viruses/trojans get n ur computer unless u have a firewall active. n other words u dont need a firewall if u dont use ie. most antivirus will NOT detect 99% of the trojans/backdoor that ur internet explorer downloads invisible to the naked eye.

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